Also, a pet peeve of mine. I wish that American climate writers would use Fahrenheit when they describe the degree of warming. Although we know better, most of us probably don't appreciate that 1.5 C degrees of warming is really 2.7 degrees as Americans understand it. In October, the planet was fully 3.1 degrees (F) hotter than average. That sounds worse than 1.7C.
"Scientists warn of systems collapse with global warming of 3.6 degrees above pre-industrial levels. In October 2023 we were at 3.1 degrees."
Perhaps what we are witnessing is the end of the American Empire and the beginning of something we can't quite imagine yet. I'm not convinced it's the end, but I'll keep reading your posts because I love good apocalypse porn. Let's get a beer soon.
How do you sound the alarm about the impending collapse without stoking fear that will lead to violence and hatred? I don't have the answer to that. We need an internationalist environmentalist Mahatma Gandhi.
It always been a battle of the elites. Ironically the rise of Napoleon heralded in the eventual rise of the middle class (along of course with industrial age). The levee en masse required the participation of a huge # of ordinary citizens to fight the wars of the wealthy. AI and robotics will end this, along with democracy.
Yes, here in Europe it's been one of the coldest winters for years, and we had a chilly, washed-out summer before that. “Oh, but that's an anecdote!” Sure, and so was OP's exhortation that we merely need to open our front door, but you didn't object to that.
What if politics would be described with the poles switched 90 degrees: extremes at one end, cooperation at the other, some level of compromise and conflict in between. and no emphasis on party identification, rather highlighting the discussion & debate that leads to cooperation. How would that change political journalism?
I wish there was an easy fix to our current problems. Politics is how we resolve conflicts among people with different visions for society. So it seems impossible to avoid conflict, but we can reduce it if we disempower the extremists and create more political integration. That could be the result of the political violence our current dynamics are likely to produce this year.
I fear that a reaction to political violence, however well intentioned or potentially productive and positive for media, may be short lived as it may end up addressing the symptom (the political extremism) at a high level while ignoring the difficult, complex, but necessary work at the ground level, or grassroots level. That work has traditionally been done at the community level, by faith, community, and issue affiliations. I have a sense that the radicalization has been top-down, primarily using media as a tool. Limbaugh et al as mouthpieces for think tank initiatives, for example. Top-down. Traditional media's attempts to counter this trend ended up creating a polarized media landscape and a polarized audience. Unfortunately I don't see any effective high level solutions.
Thanks for the response. It is my personal opinion—as someone who has worked on the issues for 20 years using earned media as a method to make change in enviro issues—I believe that there are a lot of people who fancy themselves as journalists—especially in the independent media—that are really not much different than people who post on social media all day long. They are more slacktivists and keyboard warriors. There is not strategy to make change….just plans to make money. When given the chance to participate in activities that would really make change…they usually undercut it. I see you in the same bed as Chris Cook, Tim Redmond, etc. I think this era is over. We need people to actually do the work. If you want to be am enviro PR person do that. But do not call yourself a journalist. What are your plans to address the issues? Because as I always say awareness is useless. And it doesn’t make change. Change is greater than awareness. There is a reason why I started out a journalism major and then became a public interest PR person instead. Once makes change, the other does not.
As I said in the column, I don't see any good pathways to politically progress right now. Hence the theme. If you don't like my perspective, don't read the column, it's really that simple. But I'm not the one virtue signaling here, Patti. That's you.
Um okay. I don’t feel bad about my comments then. Continue standing in the way of progress. And lol I have been called a lot of things but virtue signal is not one of them. Again, you are part of the problem. The way I see forward is people like you not standing in the way telling people there is no way forward and kicking down those of us doing the work.
But I realize you put this up and your first comment is negative and I feel bad. I just really am getting very tired of SF progressives who are more in the way of progress than helping.
And also Patti Charles is my name also Patricia Brooks. So I am not intending to be anonymous. Patches is what I was called when younger—shorted from Patti Charles and 713 is my bday. I am sure you have seen me on social media. I suppose I am the kids you allude to being pissed although I am in my 40s. I am sure you have seen me on social media, and my frustration with the lack of change and people standing in the way is quite strong. But perhaps this helps as enhancement. Something that people can do would help to avoid the virtue signaling and more efforts not to undercut people working on it.
Also, a pet peeve of mine. I wish that American climate writers would use Fahrenheit when they describe the degree of warming. Although we know better, most of us probably don't appreciate that 1.5 C degrees of warming is really 2.7 degrees as Americans understand it. In October, the planet was fully 3.1 degrees (F) hotter than average. That sounds worse than 1.7C.
"Scientists warn of systems collapse with global warming of 3.6 degrees above pre-industrial levels. In October 2023 we were at 3.1 degrees."
Fair point, I just added the conversion into the story.
But isn't it always the end of the world old men?
For us it soon will be.
Perhaps what we are witnessing is the end of the American Empire and the beginning of something we can't quite imagine yet. I'm not convinced it's the end, but I'll keep reading your posts because I love good apocalypse porn. Let's get a beer soon.
As I wrote, The End can trigger new beginnings. I'm just trying to offer some perspective on my way out.
How do you sound the alarm about the impending collapse without stoking fear that will lead to violence and hatred? I don't have the answer to that. We need an internationalist environmentalist Mahatma Gandhi.
I also have more questions than answers.
It always been a battle of the elites. Ironically the rise of Napoleon heralded in the eventual rise of the middle class (along of course with industrial age). The levee en masse required the participation of a huge # of ordinary citizens to fight the wars of the wealthy. AI and robotics will end this, along with democracy.
“Now, all we need to do open our front doors”
Yes, here in Europe it's been one of the coldest winters for years, and we had a chilly, washed-out summer before that. “Oh, but that's an anecdote!” Sure, and so was OP's exhortation that we merely need to open our front door, but you didn't object to that.
What if politics would be described with the poles switched 90 degrees: extremes at one end, cooperation at the other, some level of compromise and conflict in between. and no emphasis on party identification, rather highlighting the discussion & debate that leads to cooperation. How would that change political journalism?
I wish there was an easy fix to our current problems. Politics is how we resolve conflicts among people with different visions for society. So it seems impossible to avoid conflict, but we can reduce it if we disempower the extremists and create more political integration. That could be the result of the political violence our current dynamics are likely to produce this year.
I fear that a reaction to political violence, however well intentioned or potentially productive and positive for media, may be short lived as it may end up addressing the symptom (the political extremism) at a high level while ignoring the difficult, complex, but necessary work at the ground level, or grassroots level. That work has traditionally been done at the community level, by faith, community, and issue affiliations. I have a sense that the radicalization has been top-down, primarily using media as a tool. Limbaugh et al as mouthpieces for think tank initiatives, for example. Top-down. Traditional media's attempts to counter this trend ended up creating a polarized media landscape and a polarized audience. Unfortunately I don't see any effective high level solutions.
No one needs the people who created the crisis to talk more about it. Tired of your virtue signaling nonsense.
How do you think I created the crisis, and what virtue am I signaling in this column?
Thanks for the response. It is my personal opinion—as someone who has worked on the issues for 20 years using earned media as a method to make change in enviro issues—I believe that there are a lot of people who fancy themselves as journalists—especially in the independent media—that are really not much different than people who post on social media all day long. They are more slacktivists and keyboard warriors. There is not strategy to make change….just plans to make money. When given the chance to participate in activities that would really make change…they usually undercut it. I see you in the same bed as Chris Cook, Tim Redmond, etc. I think this era is over. We need people to actually do the work. If you want to be am enviro PR person do that. But do not call yourself a journalist. What are your plans to address the issues? Because as I always say awareness is useless. And it doesn’t make change. Change is greater than awareness. There is a reason why I started out a journalism major and then became a public interest PR person instead. Once makes change, the other does not.
As I said in the column, I don't see any good pathways to politically progress right now. Hence the theme. If you don't like my perspective, don't read the column, it's really that simple. But I'm not the one virtue signaling here, Patti. That's you.
Um okay. I don’t feel bad about my comments then. Continue standing in the way of progress. And lol I have been called a lot of things but virtue signal is not one of them. Again, you are part of the problem. The way I see forward is people like you not standing in the way telling people there is no way forward and kicking down those of us doing the work.
But I realize you put this up and your first comment is negative and I feel bad. I just really am getting very tired of SF progressives who are more in the way of progress than helping.
And also Patti Charles is my name also Patricia Brooks. So I am not intending to be anonymous. Patches is what I was called when younger—shorted from Patti Charles and 713 is my bday. I am sure you have seen me on social media. I suppose I am the kids you allude to being pissed although I am in my 40s. I am sure you have seen me on social media, and my frustration with the lack of change and people standing in the way is quite strong. But perhaps this helps as enhancement. Something that people can do would help to avoid the virtue signaling and more efforts not to undercut people working on it.
thanks for sharing your name I was gonna ask.
Oh feel free to reach out to me anytime. I also work on active transportation issues.